Watercolour Ice Painting Activity

These past 3 weeks we’ve all been under the weather (hence the lack of blogging, in fact, ANYTHING getting done!). First I had flu, that then developed into sinusitis, and this past week both children have been off preschool with tonsillitis. Needless to say, we’ve been climbing the walls slightly, but it’s been a great chance to do a few gentle crafts and activities. Sasha is always asking to do painting, so a while ago I bought both her and Freddie a set of basic watercolour-style paints (these make less mess than a load of squeezy paint in pots!). After the recent cold snaps, they have both been fascinated with buckets of ice that have frozen in the garden, wanting to touch it, slide their fingers over it, and generally mess about with it.

Enter: Watercolour ice painting! I thought this would be a fun way of combining the two, great sensory play, plus it would start to get the children thinking about what happens when you mix certain colours together, as well as what happens to the ice as it begins to melt.

You will need:

• Tupperware containers to fill with water and then freeze.
• Watercolour paints.
• Paint brushes.
• A shallow tray or bowl.

I filled two small tupperware containers with water, and popped in the freezer overnight. 

I then popped each one out into the shallow tray so F & S could get started, and the ice wouldn’t slide away.

Both children loved having a feel of the ice, and the way it slipped out of their little hands. We talked about how it felt, what it was made of, and whether or not it was colder or warmer than other objects.

Then the painting began!

Freddie was keen to tell me what colours he produced when he mixed certain ones together, and this was a great activity for Sasha, as she’s only just learning that mixing two colours together often makes a completely new one.

As the ice melted and started to crack, the paint bled into the newly formed crevices and made some gorgeous patterns and colours, and the children were fascinated by this.

This painting kept Freddie and Sasha entertained for a whole half hour (result!), as the ice changes all the time, and then gradually breaks up, which for some reason they thought was hilarious! Some ice/ water/ science/ painting fun that’s cheap as chips! 

 Do have any good ice-related activities to share?

Have a look at some of my other crafts and activities HERE